Utica, NY - The Utica College men's basketball team is set for its home opener against Cazenovia this Friday at 7 p.m.

Last Time Out: The Pioneers had an impressive outing in the season-opening Westfield State Tournament last weekend. The team advanced to the championship game with a 73-66 win over the host team in the first round on Friday night, but then fell to Rutgers-Newark the next day by a score of 57-51.

Senior Hunter Remley (Cranford, NJ/Cranford) posted a team-high 21 points in the opening round, shooting 5 of 9 from behind the arc. Freshman forward Thomas Morreale (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro) had a very impressive debut to his collegiate campaign, finishing with 12 points while going 3 of 4 from 3-point land. Freshman guard Brett Talbert (Deer Park, NY/Knox School) matched Morreale with 12 points as well in his first collegiate game.Talbert did the majority of his work from the free throw line, as he finished the night shooting 7 of 8 from the charity stripe. Junior center Kimedrick Murphy (Hudson, NY/Hudson) proved to be a force underneath the basket, notching game-highs in both rebounds (13) and blocks (5).

The Championship game against Rutgers-Newark was a barn burner, as a late Utica comeback fell just short of a victory. The Scarlet Knights worked a 14-point lead early in the second half, but the Pioneers came roaring back with a 10-2 run to draw within three with 1:52 left to play. Rutgers-Newark was able to weather the storm, as it held the Pioneers to only two points in the final 1:52. Murphy was the catalyst for Utica all afternoon on both ends of the court, as he finished with a game-high four blocks while adding a team-high 14 points. Sophomore guard Darius Hopkins (Tampa, FL/Seffner Christian) (Tampa, FL/Seffner Christian) finished scoring in double digits as well with 10 points. He also added six rebounds.

Freshman forward Thomas Morreale (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro) (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro) continued a very impressive start to his collegiate career, posting seven points on one 3 and two baskets. Senior forward Justin Strielkauskas (Waterbury, CT/Holy Cross) (Waterbury, CT/Holy Cross) led the team in rebounds with eight.

Roster Blueprint: UC returns 11 players from last year's roster. The sophomore class is the largest with five representatives: Darius Hopkins (Tampa, FL/Seffner Christian), Chris Green (White Plains, NY/Alexander Hamilton), Justin Worth (Catskill, NY/Catskill), Jackson Sullivan (Fairport, NY/Fairpoort) and De'Andre McFarlane. The junior class sports the three-man group of Kobe Lufkin (Argyle, NY/Argyle), Avery Coston (Kerhonkson, NY/Rondout Valley) and Kimedrick Murphy (Hudson, NY/Hudson), all of which have contributed on a consistent level since joining the program. The same holds true for the senior class of Justin Strielkauskas (Waterbury, CT/Holy Cross), Hunter Remley (Cranford, NJ/Cranford) and Ryan Johannes (Southbury, CT/Catholic University).

New Faces: This year's team showcases 11 freshmen: Shemar Franklin (Laurelton Queens, NY/Holy Cross), Brett Talbert (Deer Park, NY/Knox School), Christopher Bamba (Kingston, NY/Kingston), Huasly Paredes (Fort Lee, NJ/Fort Lee), DJ Harter (Holland Patent, NY/Holland Patent), Thomas Morreale (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro), Aaron Worley (Cambria Hights, NY/Holy Cross), Justice Brantley (Catskill, NY/Catskill), Lemano Barker (Brooklyn, NY/Lafayette Educational Complex) and Jose Rudecinda (Bronx, NY/).

Last Season: The Pioneers finished their 2018-19 campaign with an overall record of 14-10 while going 8-8 conference. They fell just win win removed from qualifying for the conference tournament for the third straight season. 

All-Conference: Junior Avery Coston (Kerhonkson, NY/Rondout Valley) received second-team all-conference honors last season, making it the first conference honors he has received in his career. As a sophomore, Coston started 21 games for the Pioneers while keying an average of 12.1 points and five rebounds per game. 

Key Returners: Sophomore Darius Hopkins (Tampa, FL/Seffner Christian) finished right behind Coston, tabbing 9.7 points per game. Junior Kobe Lufkin (Argyle, NY/Argyle) will also be a big part of this year's team as well, as he finished last season averaging 8.1 points per game. Senior Justin Strielkauskas (Waterbury, CT/Holy Cross) averaged 7.8 points per game in his junior campaign while also adding 123 rebounds, which was good for second-most on the team. Senior Kimedrick Murphy (Hudson, NY/Hudson) was a force in the paint, totaling a team-high 130 rebounds last season.

Coach Coffey: UC head coach Sean Coffey is entering his fourth season at the helm. Coffey has accumulated a 41-37 overall record as Utica's head coach while leading the Pioneers to an impressive 29-19 record in the Empire 8 over the least three years. His resume also includes two Empire 8 tournament appearances. In 2018, he led the Pioneers to their first conference championship appearance since 2007. Over the last two years Coffey has posted records of 17-10 (11-5) and 14-11 (8-8), marking the first time since the 2007-08 and 2009-10 seasons UC men's basketball finished with back-to-back winning seasons.

Scouting Cazenovia: The Wildcats currently sport an 0-3 record thus far in 2019, and they are coming off a 13-12 season last year. The three losses to start the season came at the hands of St. John Fisher (98-81), Chatham (92-65) and SUNY Delhi (112-94). Junior Lucci Vigliotti leads the team in scoring, as he is averaging 19.5 points while adding four rebounds per game. Sophomore Majesty Wilder is right behind Vigliotti in scoring with 9.5 points per game.

Dominating History: Utica currently holds a 19-2 all-time record against Cazenovia since the two teams first played each other in 1995. The Pioneers have won the last nine matchups against the Wildcats, including a 72-56 victory last November.

On The Horizon: The Pioneers head back on the road this Tuesday at 4 p.m. for a non-conference matchup against cross-town rival SUNY Poly.